Swab



OCLZS, 1941. H T FQRBls 2,261,058

AswAB Filed sept. 3; 1940 Patented Oct. 28, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SWAB Hazel Tietjen Forbis, Pasadena, Galii'.. v

Application September 3, 1940, Serial No. 355,223

(Cl. 12S-269) 2' claims.

This invention relates to surgery and more particularly improvements on the swab disclosed in my Patent No. 1,652,108.

The primary object of this invention resides in providing a swab with two or more wads at either or both ends so as to be successively severed from one end or both ends of the stick thereof as used.

Another object of this invention resides in the particular disposition of the wads on the stick.

A further obj-ect of this invention resides in the particular construction of the stick.

With these and other objects in view this invention resides in certain novel features of construction and arrangement of elements to be hereinafter more particularly set forth in the specification, illustrated in the accompanying drawing and pointed out in the appended claims and, while this disclosure depicts my present conception of the invention, the right is reserved to resort to such changes in construction and arrangement of elements as come within the scope cf the claims.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this application,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the swab.

Fig. `2 is a longitudinal sectional view thereof approximately on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail perspective View of the outer end of the stick.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a modied form of the swab.

In the present illustration of this invention the numeral 5 designates, in general, a swab which consists of an elongated stick 6 on either or both ends of which is Wound or otherwise disposed in longitudinally spaced relation two or more wads 'I of soft absorbent material preferably sterilized cotton or the like.

The stick 6, while herein shown as being of cylindrical configuration and tapered as indicated by the numeral 8 to provide a weakened area 9 within those wads inwardly of the outer one to readily permit successive severance of them as used, may be constructed of iiat or other suitably shaped material similarly weakened at points within certain wads.

Although the `stick is herein shown as being provided with but one weakened area, it is to be understood any number thereof may be disposed throughout the length thereof.

With a swab constructed as herein set forth, that portion of the stick carrying the outmost wad is severed from the inner portion at the weakened area 9 as by twisting or bending, thus disposing the then outer end of the stick an appreciable distance within the next wad to provide yieldability thereof an-d protect the fractured end of the stick within the wad so as to prevent inj-ury to the patients throat or other portion of the body being treated.

Through introduction of a swab of this character, it is manifest that means are provided whereby successive treatments may be practiced with a single swab and at the same time using a new and used wad and, through the simplicity of construction of the swab, it can be manufactured and marketed at a price not exceeding that of the conventional swab.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a surgical swab, a supporting stick having a central portion and at least one end portion dened from the central portion by a weakened Zone spaced from the adjacent end of the stick, a wad of absorbent material wrapped around the said end and covering the same, and a wad of material wrapped around the stick at the weakened portion and extending longitudinally and covering the stick on opposite sides of the weakened portion, the last mentioned wad being secured to the central portion of the stick whereby lwhen the stick is broken at the weakened portion and the end portion withdrawn from the last mentionedk wad, the said wad will guard the broken extremity of said central portion. I

2. The swab of claim 1 wherein the weakened zone comprises a section of the end portion decreasingly tapered from a point spaced from the extremity of said portion to the adjacent extremity of the central portion.

HAZEL TIETJEN FORBIS. 

